A Costa Rican Road Trip
- Morgan A.
- Mar 12
- 4 min read
Chasing waterfalls, sunsets, and cortados.
Let me just start by saying, yes, you do need to go to Costa Rica. While doing the research for this trip, I came across a lot of people complaining about the roads and rental cars and tourist traps and everything else you could imagine. But let me give you some peace of mind.
First and foremost, yes, the roads are rough. However, if you can drive in the midwest in the spring after a snowy winter, you'll be fine. Just go slow and watch for potholes and avoid driving in the dark if possible solely so you can see the potholes coming. We had to drive in the dark one time and just took it slow and everything was fine. Also, use Google Maps and check routes between cities beforehand to ensure you aren't taking any sketchy roads. I would look up our proposed route and check travel forums for advice on specific roads.
The next most important tidbit about roadtripping through Costa Rica is the rental car. I also read many horror stories about rental car companies but we had a great experience with ours. We used Vamos Rent-A-Car and made the reservation with our Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Using a credit card geared towards travel rewards will likely offer some kind of Auto Rental Coverage, which is required in Costa Rica. I would highly recommend getting a credit card with this benefit to avoid any surprises with the rental car company.
Finally, of course there will be tourist traps in a tourism-driven country. It's inevitable. We paid between 15 and 40 USD per person for every trail we went on and for every waterfall we wanted to see. Most of the land is privately owned so to see anything worthwhile, you will have to pay the landowner. This just made me more grateful for our state and national parks in the US and further cemented my support for these government organizations.
Now, for the deets. Where did we go? What did we do?
La Fortuna
Our first stop was La Fortuna. We flew into Liberia, rented our car, and drove to La Fortuna. This was the leg of the drive that we had to do in the dark so it was a long one. It was supposed to be a little under a three hour drive but it may have taken us closer to four. If you arrive early enough in Liberia, you may be able to stop at Llanos de Cortes Waterfall on your way to La Fortuna but it closes at 4pm so we missed it.
We spent three full days in La Fortuna which was the perfect amount of time to do a few trails and see the main attractions. We saw La Fortuna Waterfall, spent time at one of the many hot springs, hiked in Arenal Volcano National Park, and did the hanging bridges.
It was raining most of our time here so we never got to see the full volcano and we got absolutely drenched on our hike but overall, I loved La Fortuna. The lush rainforest and loads of activities kept it interesting and we had the best meal at this little restaurant in the middle of a neighborhood.
Monteverde
Next up was Monteverde, about a three and a half hour drive from La Fortuna around Lake Arenal. On our drive, we stopped at Lake Arenal Jungle Resort and Brewery for lunch. The food was decent but the view was absolutely worth it. And we got a visit from a little pig so overall, a good place to stop. We also dropped by Viento Fresco Waterfalls for a short hike to a few waterfalls. The rainbow waterfall was likely my favorite waterfall we saw the whole trip. There was nobody else on the trail when we were there so it felt very secluded and you could get into the pool at the bottom.
Monteverde is a little mountain town that had a laid-back feel. We stayed in an AirBNB outside of town with a stunning view of the rolling hills and farmland, took a cooking class where we learned how to make Costa Rican bread and empanadas, went canyoning, and saw plenty of waterfalls, of course.
Santa Teresa Beach
After a few days in Monteverde, it was time to make our way to the ocean. About a four hour drive around the gulf from Monteverde, this was probably the easiest drive of the trip. Very few potholes and the roads are well-kept once you are down from the mountains.
Santa Teresa was a lovely beach town that was full of surfers. Very different vibes than Monteverde. The restaurants here were pretty incredible. Lots of fresh fruits, smoothies, sandwiches, and coffee. We had a relaxing few days here enjoying the ocean and even tried our hand at surfing.
Del Coco Beach
On our way back towards the airport in Liberia, we made a stop at Del Coco Beach for a couple of days. It is about a five hour drive from Santa Teresa but less than an hour from the airport. Del Coco was again a very different vibe from Santa Teresa. More of a snow bird crowd and much more touristy. I won't lie, I wasn't too impressed with the beach or the town for that matter but it was an okay stop for a night so we could rest before our journey home.
What would I change?
If we were to do it all over again, I would probably go on a sloth tour. Yes, that is a thing. Maybe a coffee and chocolate tour. Again, why did we not do these things?? I did enjoy the laid-back approach we took to this trip. We didn't try to squeeze in a bunch of stuff but there is surely more to see in Costa Rica. Good thing it's not too far!
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